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The top 5 Alexa enabled devices

You know what? It’s too much work typing stuff. Let’s go a different route.

Alexa, please write this article.

———————–

Err what’s going on?

Well, that went well! To clear your confusion, we’re working on a brand new post that that talks about the top 5 gadgets found in your homes, all enabled by Alexa. Speaking of which, we thought we could use good ol’ Alexa’s help to hit the keys but apparently it doesn’t work that way.

Right, please excuse the loopiness ahem), but here’s moving on with the article.

But first, let’s meet Alexa – The solution to all your problems

Ever watched “The Jetsons” as a kid and went “Damn, I wish I had that!”. For who can forget Mama Jane doing the laundry just by pushing a few buttons that shot out robotic arms or her magical ability to prepare a multi-course meal in a few seconds? Or George with that spectacular launch from the bed to the conveyor belt, where robotic arms (again with those arms!) help him dress? Or that awesome family flying car? (We really wish they would hurry with that TBH!)

Well whether or not we have it in our destiny to witness one of those flying cars, we know one thing for sure. Smart technology has finally caught up with the times. Especially tech that has everything to do with smart homes.

Let’s take the Jetsons as an example again. Remember Rosie? The walking, talking robot maid that dealt with all the chores that couldn’t be handled by pushing buttons? While there’s no “Rosie” yet, there’s an “Alexa” for sure. It’s 2018 and a voice assistant like Amazon’s Alexa rules the smart technology roost. Using machine learning and voice recognition, Alexa is programmed to help users carry out functions via smartphones and other applications.

But who, or what exactly is Alexa?

Alexa is the mechanical invention that’s set fire to our imaginations like never before. A built-in assistant of Amazon Echo, Alexa is essentially a device that’s capable of anything. On its own, it’s pretty much a wireless speaker that answers your questions. However, connect it to a few smart home devices, and witness the magic!

From light switches to power outlets to thermostats to security cameras, the number of Alexa-enabled devices has only skyrocketed. There was the Echo, followed by Dot and Tap. And very recently you’ve had the Echo Show and Echo Spot join the pack.

An integrated arrangement that holds sway over your home just by a voice command, Alexa is more than just a gadget; it’s an experience.

And to highlight that fact further, here’s a list of smart-home devices that work beautifully with Alexa:

1.Lights

Just imagine you’re on your way home after a long day at work, with your arms laden with the month’s groceries. You get home, and it’s pretty dark and before you can reach for the light switch your pet dog starts pouncing on you. A tricky set of affairs, what with the groceries overflowing in your arms (and God forbid if you’ve got eggs in there!), the prancing pet, and a “Can’t see, I’m afraid I’m going to spectacularly trip” situation. But this is where Alexa saves you. All you gotta do is say, “Alexa, turn on the lights” and voilà! Your lights are on, and you can breathe easy.

2.Thermostats

A smart thermostat? Great! A smart thermostat that’s Alexa compatible? Even better! Most of the very best smart thermostats out there happen to be Alexa-compatible. Just take Nest. Synonymous with smart home tech, Nest is not only in sync with Alexa, but also comes with various sensors that monitor the temperature across your entire home. Just imagine walking in from the blazing heat into your equally stuffy living room wondering if it’s Mercury you live on when you suddenly remember Alexa. All it takes is asking Alexa to lower the temperatures, and you’re set! The opposite works just as well. The power to adjust your home temperature all at the behest of a few spoken words is pretty impressive wouldn’t you say?

3.Home appliances

Everything’s “smarter” these days. Our homes, our cars, our watches, our phones, and now even our everyday appliances. There’s Whirlpool with its fridges and dishwashers and ovens and whatnot that all come accompanied with Wifi connectivity and voice activation. Gone are the days when you would have to fiddle with the knobs to get things working. These days you just have to vocalize an instruction, and it’s done the next minute!

Our advice would be to buckle up. As more and more appliances with Alexa compatibility flood the market, the more it is that you’re looking at the future of home automation. Whether it’s asking Alexa to fix you a cuppa or fix the living room (with the help of battery powered vacuums like the Roomba 690), voice operable home appliances are here to stay!

4.Security cameras

It’s all fun and games till it becomes a matter of domestic security. But don’t worry, Alexa’s got your back. When you add in some Alexa authority into the mix, home security never got better. With Wifi connected security cameras, you can use Alexa to arm/disarm cameras while you enter/exit the home. Take the Logitech Circle 2. Primarily an indoor camera, it works outside too. It allows you to disable the privacy mode and even kick off recordings via voice commands. Another perk of this sorta DIY surveillance via Alexa is that you get to view security footage without operating any device.

5.Smart locks

Like we’ve stated above, home security is paramount. And there’s no better Alexa-enabled device for the job than the “smart lock”. Let’s take the Kwikset Kevo. A smart lock that allows the locking/unlocking of doors via voice commands as well as providing brief access to guests. Let’s go back full circle to the scenario where you just got home with the groceries and used Alexa to switch on the lights. In all the commotion, let’s say you forgot to lock the door behind you. The obvious thing to do? Just gotta say “Alexa please lock the door” and you’re tucked in for the night!

We might not be the Jetsons come again but we’ve sure come close to having our very own Orbit City. There’s just no getting around the fact that voice automated devices and home automation, in general, is a market that’s just revved up its engines.